Kids and Families

Mysteries for Teens

Down the Rabbit Hole: An Echo Falls Mystery by Peter Abrahams
Ingrid wins the starring role of Alice in a local production of Alice in Wonderland, but finds herself head over heels inside a mystery when she realizes she’s probably the last person to see a murder victim alive.

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
When Alex Rider’s uncle dies, Alex does a little investigating, and discovers his uncle was not only murdered but was secretly working as an undercover agent before he died. Going undercover himself, Alex delves into a spy mystery complete with action, gadgets and super villains.
Sequels include Point Blank, Skeleton Key, and Scorpia.

The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson
Annika lives in luscious 20 th century Vienna in the home of three eccentric professors and the loving housekeeper who found her. When a beautiful aristocrat drops into her life claiming to be her mother, Annika must unravel the truth about her new family and the mystery inside the chest of old costumes and junk jewelry left to her by an old friend.
Other historical mysteries include A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly.

The Secret Under My Skin by Janet McNaughton
In a world following a disastrous “techno caust,” Blay finds her secret past coming to light when she leaves her orphan work camp to assist the new Bio-Indicator. Why is the prestigious job detecting environmental toxins of the Bio-Indicator so difficult for the young woman assigned the task, but so easy for Blay?
Other science fiction mysteries include Escape From Memory by Margaret Peterson Haddix.

The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci
Picked on by his peers, Chris Creed suddenly disappears and murder accusations start to fly. Three teens from various parts of their high school social strata try to get to the bottom of his disappearance, implicating themselves in the process.
Other titles by the author include What Happened to Lani Garver.

Don’t Scream by Lois Lowery Nixon
Readers are aware that a sociopath is moving to Jessica Donelly’s hometown. Jessica could use this information when two new boys show up at her high school. Not realizing the danger she’s in, Jessica naively gets involved with the two boys, setting herself up for a scary ride.
Other titles by the author include Murdered My Sweet, Spirit Seeker, Search For the Shadowman and The Seance.

The Ruby in the Smoke by Phillip Pullman
Pursued by cutthroats and shadowy villains, Sally searches the seamy underworld of Victorian London to discover the truth about her father’s death, and finds herself in the middle of a mystery involving the opium trade and a valuable stolen ruby.
The trilogy contiues with The Shadow in the North and The Tiger in the Well.

Twisted Summer by Willo Davis Roberts
On an annual trip to her family’s summer cabin, Cici finds the brother of the boy she has a crush on has been arrested for the murder of another local teen. Cici isn’t convinced that Brody is the murderer, but the closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous her summer becomes.
Other titles by the author inclue Hostage, Baby-Sitting is a Dangerous Job, Scared Stiff, and The Kidnappers: A Mystery.

Never Trust a Dead Man by Vivian Vande Velde
After Selwyn is wrongly accused of murder and trapped by a mob of villagers in the tomb of his victim, he turns to a witch for assistance in freeing him. This sets off a chain of events involving intricate, though not always successful, magical disguises, the help of the resurrected murder victim, and further indenture to the eccentric witch as Selwyn attempts to find the real murderer.
Other titles by the author include Magic Can Be Murder and There’s a Dead Person Following My Sister Around.

Double Helix by Nancy Werlin
Eli’s mother is dying of a hereditary disease, and Eli can’t figure out why no one is concerned that he might have inherited the disease. Eli goes to work at Dr. Wyatt’s lab to uncover the mystery behind his own identity, finding a much larger mystery awaiting him.
Other titles by the author include The Killer’s Cousin and The Black Mirror.